Where Demons Hide
by GhostlyMayhem
Summary: Screwball disappears one night under mysterious circumstances; circumstances that could have something to do with Discord's unknown past and possible enemies he's made in his life. Unable to find her on his own, Discord goes to the only one who can help him: a certain white alicorn princess who broke his heart years before. Eventual Discord/Celestia. Completely AU. UPDATED!
1. A Normal Day

**...**

_**Where Demons Hide**_

**Chapter 1**

**A Normal Day**

_"That's exactly what enemies do: They find our only weakness by taking away the ones we love most."_

**...**

"Daddy, daddy! Wake up!"

Discord stayed still, eyes shut as tightly. Two small hooves landed on his side, shaking him in a futile attempt to wake him from his deep slumber.

"Daaaaddddy!" the tiny voice whined. "Wake up!" It didn't take long before he felt four small hooves crawling onto his body and up his back toward his head, a pair of teeth yanking on his ear. He resisted the urge to chuckle, but a smirk managed to crack his features. "We've got chaos to spread! And you still haven't made the trees dance yet!"

Chuckling lightly under his breath, Discord lifted his tail up in the air, bringing it slowly down toward the distracted filly on his back. The tip of his tail immediately transformed into a hand, and before the filly, -sensing a presence-, could even turn her head, the hand came down in one swift motion.

Startled, the purple filly gasped, falling off the draconequus' back and landing in a small heap on the stone floor, the hand quickly attacking her belly with it's long fingers. Giggles erupted from the filly, who struggled to get away from the hand, pushing back hooves against it while protecting her belly while her front hooves. "D-DADDY!" she squealed, "ST-HAHAHA-OP!"

Discord released her from the mercy of the hand at the tip of his tail, which, in turn, transformed back into the white scruff of fur that was originally there. He opened his yellow eyes, stretching his limbs. "Looks like someone wants an early start this morning," he said with a light chuckle as he sat up, getting a glimpse of the outside through the large cave entrance of their home. There was no sign of the bright sun peeking through the blankets of grey clouds. He nearly gave a breath of relief. He didn't like the sun all that much; in fact, he despised the dazzling light and clear blue skies that came with a sunny day.

His filly still laid on the ground, trying to catch her breath after the tickle attack. After a moment, she sprung to her hooves, hopping over to her father whom had moved closer toward the cave entrance, her purple and white curled mane bouncing with each step.

"What should we do today, Screwball?" Discord asked, staring out at the wide forest area surrounding their little abode; an entire space still waiting to be turned to chaos. It could become a winter wonderland or a candy land with just the snap of his fingers. An entire, endless playground of possibilities.

Screwball stood next to Discord now, also looking out at the forest. She smiled up at him, swirl eyes eager to start the day. When your father was the spirit of chaos, every moment was a game, and when you're a filly, you live for games. "Do you think you could make it rain syrup? Oh! And maybe pancakes too? I'm hungry!"

He smiled down at her. "I don't see why not." With the snap of his fingers, a different set of clouds appeared in the sky, taking place of the dreary grey ones. Immediately a sticky brown substance began to fall in large droplets from the sky, and soon enough, large pancakes followed.

"AWESOME!" Grinning widely, Screwball ran out of the cave and into the raining syrup and pancakes, breakfast already served with just a simple snap.

Discord watched her go, the smile on his face never fading. He shook his head when he noticed her going after the syrup rather than the pancakes itself, and a laugh escaped him when a large pancake landed right on her face. It felt nice to have somepony who appreciated chaos as much as he did; somepony willing and ready to have fun every waking moment. Somepony who never grew tired of the fun he created...

* * *

Discord took one glance at the bottom of the long flight of endless stairs he had created; so tall that they lead up toward the sky. He leaned in toward the plastic box which he had brought up to the top. "Are you ready?"

"Ready!" Came the eager, muffled response from inside the box.

"Okay... three... two...one... LAUNCH!" He released the box, which sped down the bumpy flight of stairs. He snapped his fingers and quickly appeared at the bottom of the stairs, catching the box before it could hit the ground. In a dramatic fashion, he removed the lid and peered down at the grinning filly inside, wrapped up in a cocoon of blankets. "ARE YOU OKAY?" he cried out dramatically toward his daughter, who only giggled hysterically at his tone. "ARE YOU OKAY?! DO YOU WANNA GO AGAIN?!"

Giggling, Screwball nodded. "I wanna go again!"

"Okay, going for round two!" With a snap of his fingers, they were at the top of the stairs once again.

* * *

"CHOCOLATE LAKE!" Screwball squealed. With a floaty around her waist, she did a canon ball right into the chocolate, which was once an actual, fresh water lake before the draconequus transformed it.

Discord quickly went in after her, purposely splashing her as he did so. "Actually, it's a chocolate _milk_ lake," he corrected her. "And look!" Using his tail, he pointed out at the shore.

Screwball glanced over at the spot of land where her father was pointing at, and couldn't help the smile that overcame her features. "Dancing trees!" She screamed in delight. "THOSE TREES ARE DANCING!"

"So glad you could notice," he teased, using his tail to splash her again with the chocolate milk. She giggled, retaliating quickly, using her front hooves to splash chocolate milk back at him.

* * *

"I've never done this before..." She stood shakily on her hooves, now wearing a pair of ice skates.

"You'll be fine," Discord reassured her, giving her a small push onto the ice (once the chocolate milk lake he had made earlier; now completely frozen over).

She gasped a little, nearly falling over. She grabbed onto him as he made his way onto the ice.

He waited for a while (nearly an hour to be exact), hoping she would let go and gradually start skating on her own. However, it was clear by how tightly she was clutching on to him that that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

So instead, he scooped her up and placed her on his head, letting her sit back and enjoy the ride as he gracefully skated over the ice.

* * *

It seemed as though their day was already over before it even began.

Night came quicker than the day had even lasted. From where he lay, a small glimpse of the moon was barely visible through the clouds still hovering over the area. With the day winding down, Discord felt exhausted. Sometimes using his powers too often could easily make him worn out after a long day, despite how short that day ended up actually feeling like.

Residing in a cave had it's perks. For one, there were no bills to pay and, having powers such as his own, no money had to be spent in order to make a living. Anything he or Screwball wanted could appear in a flash; no money required. However, the both of them didn't want much, really. Discord had never been a fan of luxurious items like TVs or even _beds_, and Screwball eventually became accustomed to her father's simplistic tastes as well. TVs weren't necessary because he had his powers to keep himself occupied an entire day (and had a child of his own to look after, which could also be very entertaining when it came to her antics). And beds... he simply didn't mind sleeping on the floor. And for Screwball he essentially was her bed at night, with her tiny form sleeping against him or using his own body to wrap around her like a protective blanket.

So once he heard a tiny yawn from beside him, he instinctively curled his long body around her. "Somepony's tiiiiiired," he sang in a teasing tone, while she simply glanced up at him in dismay.

"Am not," she whined, weakly struggling out of his grasp. It didn't take long before another yawn escaped her, the struggling ceasing a bit. Each of the three big activities they did that day lasted for hours, especially when Screwball went down the large flight of stairs inside a plastic box (which was over fifty times). She was just as worn out from the fun day as he was. And that was exactly why she didn't want it to end, almost like a gut feeling that she couldn't exactly pinpoint or figure out. She sighed in defeat, allowing herself to yawn again. "I don't want this day to end..."

"What makes you say that?" He asked. "We still have tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that, and so on... Chaos is forever and never-ending. And besides, it's not like I'm going anywhere..."

"Promise?"

He blinked, staring down at her in confusion. "Promise what?"

"That you won't leave me." Her eyes were almost as pleading as her tone. "Ever."

This was odd, indeed. Her question came out of nowhere, and he wondered for a moment where she got an idea like that, that he would actually leave her alone. It was almost as if she thought something bad was going to happen... And if he didn't have the same feeling (which he didn't), then that meant there was nothing for him to worry about.

Nonetheless, he decided to answer her question with the most honest answer. "I promise I will never leave you," he said quietly, ruffling her mane with his lion paw. He smirked. "As long as you promise me the same."

With heavy eye lids, she smiled up at him. "I promise..." Gradually her eyes closed, her head resting against his side.

He watched her sleeping peacefully, still wondering why she would ever ask him not to leave. Why would he ever leave? Let alone, why would she ever think he would leave her? She was his daughter after all, and she was all he had...

_I guess I shouldn't worry to much about it,_ he figured, taking one last glimpse of her sleeping form before lying back down completely. His own eyelids were growing heavy. _It's probably just a kid thing. Kids do worry, it's to be expected..._

Ignoring the thoughts, he closed his eyes and let himself drift off into a deep slumber, the promise becoming forgotten...

* * *

Screwball opened her eyes to complete darkness.

Mind you, the only light shining down on them through their spot before the cave entrance was the dim light from the moon, now shining completely through the clouds that had blocked it earlier. She watched the clouds drift on by for a moment, caught up by the seemingly peaceful night. She wasn't like most fillies: night time didn't frighten her like it frightened others her age.

Sighing lightly, she slowly shut her eyes, preparing to fall back asleep after suddenly waking up moments earlier. For whatever reason unknown to her, she would sometimes wake up randomly in the night, for even just a split second, before falling back asleep.

Her eyes were nearly shut when something caught her eye. She blinked her eyes open, catching sight of something red and round just a few feet away from her, at the foot of the entrance.

A red ball.

And it moved suddenly once she became aware of it being there. She lifted her head quickly, watching the ball in the dim moonlight. It moved again, closer toward her. She glanced over at her father.

Discord snored lightly, eyes shut tightly. Unlike most times where he pretended to be asleep, the draconequus honesty looked like he was in an actual, peaceful slumber rather than faking it completely. After a few moments of watching him without any movement, Screwball dismissed him as the culprit.

The ball again moved closer. Silently, Screwball managed to wiggle herself out of Discord's protective grasp without even the slightest movement from him. There was something about that red ball that was compelling her curiosity, pulling her in like a fish being reeled in on a hook. She took a small step forward. One small step toward the ball...

...And it moved back.

She froze, startled by the action. She took another step forward and the ball moved back even further. Gradually her small steps became bigger, and the ball's movements back became quicker, further, trying to get away from her, yet at the same time luring her in, luring her away from the cave entrance, from the safety of her father and into the threatening unknown as she ran after it. She followed that red ball deep into the woods covered only by the moonlight and an eerie mist, far from the cave she called home. And somewhere in the night, a scream erupted, echoing off the surrounding trees...

...but it went unheard.

* * *

**A/N: So, this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter MLP fanfic. Basically, as the ending implies and the story summary says, Screwball disappears under mysterious circumstances; circumstances that could have something to do with Discord's past and possible enemies he's made in his life. And the only one he can go to for help after not being able to find her on his own, is Celestia herself. Hence the eventual romance that'll happen later on. And this is AU, taking place if Celestia had broken Discord's heart and instead of him being turned to stone the first time around, he was instead banished.**

**This fanfic's title is inspired by the song "Demons" by Imagine Dragons, which it's Discord a lot once you hear the lyrics. ;)**

**Yeah. Not much else to say really. Please review if you liked it! :) I'll try updating soon.**


	2. You'll Never See Her Again

**...**

**Where Demons Hide**

**Chapter 2**

_**You'll Never See Her Again**_

**...**

When Discord opened his eyes, he was welcomed by the blinding rays of the rising morning sun. Squinting, he sat up, turning his head away from the bright light, rubbing his tired eyes in hopes of getting rid of his current blurry state of vision. _Of course __**her**__ sun is out today,_ he thought, an annoyed snarl rumbling deep within his throat. _Of course..._

Though his vision was still a bit hazy, he noticed that Screwball wasn't where he had last seen her. A quick glance around the small cave made him realize that Screwball wasn't around. At all.

He shrugged it off as nothing with a simple shake of his head and a playful roll of his eyes. He never understood how some ponies could wake up so early with no problem at all. Before he created Screwball, mornings were the worst part of his day. But once she came along, he found that mornings weren't as difficult to bare as before. Especially since she woke him up every morning. Having her eager for him to awake from his deep slumber so they could spread chaos... It warmed his chaotic heart.

So he did find it rather odd that Screwball wasn't there to wake him.

_Maybe she finally decided to let her old man sleep,_ he wondered with a small smile. Nothing felt off or out of place. Everything seemed normal that morning except the fact that Screwball didn't wake him. Then again, -as he decided to stick with-, she probably decided to let him sleep in for once. That was new, yes, but it could be seen as normal, even if it was a first time thing.

Discord glanced back over toward the cave entrance. It took him a moment to catch something that was slightly off-putting; something that felt out of place.

The sun. It wasn't positioned lower as it normally was in the early mornings. It was already relatively high in the sky, aiming the sunlight in his direction, much to his dismay. Wait a minute... He found himself staring out at the sky, slowly realizing that it wasn't as early in the morning as he thought it was. What time was it? _Did Screwball really let me sleep in this late in the day?_

Now that was peculiar. Screwball wouldn't have had the patience to wait to play with him for that long. Though she was his creation and was essentially immortal herself, she possessed no powers of her own. She relied on Discord for nearly, everything, from entertainment like games to food that could be right at her hooves in a single second with just a simple snap of her father's fingers.

An odd sense of worry gnawed at his chest. Was she really okay with waiting that long to eat breakfast? Well, now that he thought about it, it was nearly lunchtime for her by that point. And she was a very hungry filly... An impatient one, too.

Now this didn't make any sense to Discord. And though he found _'making sense'_ to be rather boring, this time felt different. This time he was left utterly confused, and with that confusion came an odd sense of worry that he never felt before.

He headed out of the cave rather quickly. "Screwball?" He called out, the worry growing when he immediately found that she wasn't anywhere in sight; anywhere near the cave, near safety. He didn't like the idea of her being so far away from him, especially all by herself, where there were so many different types of dangerous creatures lying in wait for that perfect opportunity.

He let out a long breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding in. _Get a hold of yourself! She's probably just playing hide and seek with you._

He glanced around once more, a growing anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach, one he had never felt before and couldn't quite understand.

_Yeah, sure she is..._

* * *

"Screwball!" His tone grew more frustrated, his wings taking him deeper and deeper into the woods, still no sign of that little purple filly of his. "Come out here right now! This isn't funny anymore! Do I look like I'm laughing?"

No response. Just like before.

"Come on, kiddo," he groaned with irritation, the feeling in his stomach making it rather hard to concentrate on his search. "Did I do something wrong? Did I upset you? Cause I don't remember doing anything! Can you just come out so we can go home? I promise we'll play as much as you want when we get back!"

The wind blew some trees, causing the branches to sway and the leaves to rustle. That was the only single response he got.

Sighing, he took off into the sky, knowing he'd have better luck finding Screwball while in the air than on the ground, especially with such a more elevated view of the forest from that high off the ground.

* * *

Seconds turned to minutes and those long minutes eventually turned to hours. The sun was already at it's peak of the day, and would soon begin to set and make way for the coming moon.

And Discord was officially worried.

He had looked everywhere. Once he had done a search for her in the air and had no luck, the worry that twisted his stomach made him wonder if she was lying injured somewhere, or was lost. Another search of possible areas where she could have been lying injured or could have been aimlessly wandering turned up nothing.

_Nothing._

He had no other explanation for her sudden and mysterious disappearance. When he really thought about it, there was no way she could have wandered off in the first place to where she could have gotten hurt in the process. She knew to stay near him at all times. When he warned her about anything, she took his warnings to heart.

_Then what could it be?!_ He thought angrily, now back before the cave he called home; essentially back at square one. He paced around, trying to at least piece together the time she went missing. _She usually wakes me up early morning, so that must mean she left an hour or two before that..._ He glanced up at the blue sky, staring at the sun for a few moments. _Sun... sun..._

_Tia._

His mind unintentionally wandered at the sound of **_her_** name echoing in his ears, bouncing around his skull. That was exactly why he hated the sun. He couldn't even take one glimpse of the sun without thinking of **_her..._**

He shook his head quickly, washing the thought away with an annoyed growl. He turned away from the sun, heading back into the cave to figure out what to do next. He had already tried looking for Screwball on his own and had no luck; now he was completely clueless as to what to do next.

_I can't ask for help,_ he reminded himself, walking into the cave. _There's no way. Even if I wanted to, it's not like anypony would be willing to help me. They all know who I am. One look at me and they'll start running. Then again, I could always use threats if I really needed the help..._

Despite knowing that he didn't want help with finding his daughter, he had a strong feeling that he might need the help.

He slapped his lion paw over his face. "Ugh, me? Ask for help? I highly doubt that'll ever happen..." he turned toward a random part of the cave. "After all, Screwball is probably just lost... It's not like she was taken-" He let his paw slide off his face, letting it fall to his side as his eyes caught sight of something bold and red on the cave wall he had turned toward; something he knew wasn't there before. Five words written in dark red paint that took up most of the space on the wall:

**_'You'll never see her again.'_**

He nearly had to do a double take. He blinked a few times, expecting the words to disappear back into some odd place in the back of his mind that he was sure was playing tricks on him. When the five words didn't disappear, he let them sink in. A chill shot up his spine immediately.

_This isn't real,_ he thought frantically, backing away until his back hit the other wall. _This is a joke, isn't it? It has to be!_ Those words were so large, they were literally screaming at him. _'You'll never see her again. You'll never see her again. __**You'll never see her again!'**_

He pressed up harder against the wall, letting the meaning of those words sink in deeper, burning his insides, his stomach twisting with nausea as he did so. _Somepony... or something... took..._ He swallowed hard, unable to finish his thought. He was slammed by rushing thoughts, thoughts going by so quickly that he had no time to think straight; thoughts that made his heart beat faster than those painted words did. Screwball wasn't hurt, or lost...

She was kidnapped. And by the looks of it, she was kidnapped hours ago.

It dawned on him then that the precious time had already been long wasted. She could have been taken halfway across Equestria by now, and he wouldn't be able to find her at that rate. She was long gone. His creation, his little girl, was _gone._ And he hadn't done a single thing to prevent it.

Discord hated to admit it, but he found no point in denying it any longer: He was scared. Frightened. It started out as a simple worry that any parent has when they can't find their child, but now, -with those red words screaming at him a truth he couldn't possibly comprehend-, it was true fear he felt. Never had he been so terrified, but not for himself or his well being. He had the powers of a god (hell, he WAS a god), and could easily defend himself against anything that tried to harm him. It was his innocent filly he was frightened for... He already hated the thought of her not being near him for even a few seconds at a time, but this was an aspect he never even thought could happen. That somepony, or _something_, had taken his daughter. And for what reason, he couldn't even know for sure yet. His mind was in such a frenzy that it was hard for him to think of the reasons why, though it was mostly the _'how'_ of the situation he wondered about... How could Screwball have been taken so easily? How did he not even sense that something was wrong when there were so many warning signs from the moment he woke up that morning?

He squeezed his trembling lion paw and talon into tight fists, hoping it would calm him down so he could think straight. But there was a lingering guilt that hit him full force when he re-thought those earlier questions, as to how he let his filly be kidnapped. And even worse, he wasted time looking for her when he knew early on that something was wrong. _I'm a horrible father, _he thought miserably.

For once in his life, Discord felt completely helpless. He wasn't sure what to do. There was still a numbing shock about the whole situation, yet the pounding of his heart proved the fear and worry he felt. And the guilt was nearly as unbearable as the fear.

He continued to stare at the five words. He tightened his fists, ignoring the feeling of the sharp claws of his lion paw piercing into his palm. He clenched his teeth, his wide eyes narrowing into a glare. The fear dissipated quickly, replaced instead with a growing rage. _When I get my hands on the thing that took my daughter..._ Breathing in deeply, he relaxed his hands. _I can't think about that... Right now I have to get Screwball back._

He glanced over at the cave entrance, at the now setting sun. _Help... help..._ It was unfortunately obvious that he wouldn't be able to find Screwball on his own. He didn't even know where to begin searching.

_Help...?_

Only one pony, one alicorn came to mind as he watched the sun set. Despite the mixture of fear and anger piercing his heart, he let a smirk, -almost grim yet almost eager-, he couldn't control cross his features.

_Time to pay the princess a little visit..._

As the sun disappeared in the horizon, Discord snapped his fingers and vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

For Princess Celestia, the best part about the Canterlot castle was the stunning view she had of Equestria from the tower balcony.

In the next tower over, Princess Luna had already begun to raise the moon and bright stars that decorated the night sky day after day. Such a beautiful sight, so enchanting and breathtaking that Celestia found her sister's night to be the most gorgeous thing she had ever feasted her eyes upon. Nothing, in her opinion, came close to the sheer magnificence of her sister's moon and stars in the dark blue sky. Not even her sun came close in comparison.

The beauty of a starry night doubled from the viewpoint atop Canterlot's tower balcony. From where she stood, the moon appeared even larger than it already was, almost as though she could reach out and touch it in just a few short inches...

She sighed deeply in exhaustion from the long day she endured and pure serenity from the sight she had of her kingdom. Another beauty the night gave her was the view of Ponyville in the distance, where each home, each building was lit up with lights as night closed in. Each light together created a marvelous sight for Celestia. In a way, the lights blended together from the far distance, that it gave her a type of personal light show. The lights from that far of a distance made Ponyville seem smaller than it really was, and as quaint as it already was.

Every night, after her usual long days of royal summits, courts, occasional parties and party planning that went along with parties months away, she would go straight to the tallest tower and watch from the balcony as her sister raised the moon and stars. There was peace in the night, compared to what most in Equestria thought. She knew most ponies were afraid of the dark and were even afraid of the night, and it always left her baffled. How could anypony find fear in such a lovely, blissful beauty like a dark sky scattered with bright stars and an even brighter moon? There was nothing more serene and calming than watching the moon and stars, and occasional shooting stars fly across the sky, while listening to the sounds of the nocturnal animals come alive in the night.

Even in the distance, she could hear the crickets and owls come out and begin singing together to create a perfect harmony; a symphony of the night that Celestia could spend hours listening to. She let out another sigh, closing her eyes as the distant sounds of crickets and owls washed over her like a fresh waterfall that could clean the filthiest of coats and manes. The sounds left her feeling refreshed and full of joy; an aspect that was usually missing during her long days.

Minutes passed before her peace was disturbed. Her ears suddenly perked up, picking up another sound that appeared right behind her. For a moment, she was in such a state of calm that she didn't dare ruin the moment by turning around. She figured it was just one of her royal guards making sure she was okay, but that possibility quickly went away when she heard an eerily familiar voice speak from right behind her; a voice she honestly hoped she would never have to hear again:

"Oh, Tiiiiia..."

* * *

**A/N: So, the main plot has just begun already. Now, starting next chapter, will be Celestia's involvement with helping Discord, though she isn't completely willing. XD Yes, Discord and Tia aren't to fond of each other at the beginning because of what happened in their shared past years before, but trust me, there'll be eventual, blossoming romance later on between them!**

**Anyway, yeah. Wish I could say more. XD Please review!**


	3. Sour Reunion

**...**

**Where Demons Hide**

**Chapter 3**

**Sour Reunion**

**...**

_"Oh, Tiiiiia..."_

A surprised gasp escaped her throat as Celestia quickly spun around to face a certain draconequus standing a few feet behind her. Despite her racing heart from the frightening and completely unexpected surprise, her eyes narrowed. _"You!"_

"I have a name, you know," Discord remarked sarcastically, his long body leaning against a stone column a few feet away.

"What are you doing here?" Celestia demanded, making sure to keep her distance from the looming threat before her. "We banished you!"

He took a step forward, holding his hands up as to show her that he was no threat at the moment. "Please, Tia-"

_"-Don't call me that,"_ she hissed, moving further away from him.

He rolled his eyes. "-Your royal Excellency," he sighed, still pressing forward. "I mean you no harm. I'm here-"

"-To spread even more chaos and destruction than the last time you were here!" she snapped, stepping back once more. "Do you really think I'm some insolent little fool that you can easily trick? I know exactly what you're up to!"

He stared at her plainly, trying to ignore the shine from the moonlight that gave her already pristine white body an even more polished, glistening look. "I'm actually here..." he paused, almost unable to force himself to ask this polished princess for help. _Do it for Screwball. Do it for her..._ He let out another, more agitated sigh. "...I'm here in need of your assistance."

"Assistance?" Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't play tricks with me, Discord. Just tell me why you're really here!"

"Do you really think I would come here out of all places for no reason?" he snapped, losing his patience quickly. He didn't have time to argue, and he especially knew Screwball didn't have the time either, wherever she was. In a way, there was a clock ticking down the important minutes and hours, and for a filly like Screwball-immortal yet powerless-time was a necessity that couldn't be wasted. "When you banished me, I was more than happy to leave! Why in the world would I come back here for any other reason?"

"You have purposes, Discord," Celestia protested, completely sure that the draconequus before her was there to take back the throne he once sat on, or to, at the least, cause more destruction and chaos to make her life more stressful than it already was. "I know for a fact you have some hidden agenda behind whatever reason you're here." She took a threatening step forward, lowering her head as her long horn began to glow with a powerful magic. "Why should I believe otherwise, hmm? So you can pull the carpet out from under me again? Try and take over my kingdom? Try to create some chaotic playground once again?" She was right before him now, glaring up at his yellow eyes. "Go ahead and give me the real reason why you're really here, because I would just love to hear why you decided to come back when my sister and I BANNED you from ever returning!"

He glanced away, not phased by the alicorn's rising tone or her glowing horn aimed directly at him. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he mumbled.

For a single second, the look of worry in his yellow eyes told a different story than the one Celestia believed, and she nearly found herself compelled to ask him more about his reasons. Her lavender eyes softened slightly. Then they hardened once again. _He's playing tricks on you,_ she reminded herself. Just like the last time... "Try me," she tested, keeping her glowing horn locked on him.

He suppressed a sigh. _Here goes nothing._ "...This may come as kind of a shock, but... I think my daughter has been kidnapped," he said quietly, turning back to face her with those same worried eyes of his.

Now her eyes widened. "Daughter?" She blinked, coming back to her senses, her horn still aimed at his chest. "Like anypony would believe that _you_ have a daughter!"

"It's the truth!" he yelled, his own eyes hardening with frustration. "Despite what you believe, I do have a daughter. And no, I didn't mate with anyone else." He couldn't help the smirk tugging on his lips. "So there's no need to feel jealous, princess."

"I couldn't care less who you were with after what happened!" _Lie,_ a voice whispered in the back of her head, but she ignored it and went on, "I have no reason to be jealous."

His smirk faded, ignoring her last words. "As I said before, I didn't mate with anyone else," he said, almost reassuringly. "My daughter was born from my magic."

She kept her piecing glare on him, as well as her horn.

"I admit," he went on after a moment of waiting for her to respond, "She wasn't exactly... planned. I don't want to say she was an accident, but... I certainly didn't plan on a baby falling out of a cloud of cotton candy."

_A cotton candy baby? Now that does sound like Discord's doing,_ Celestia thought, her horn losing its glow a bit as she wondered whether he spoke the truth or not. She shook her head, her horn lighting up once again. She was still certain he was lying to her, hiding another scheme up his sleeve.

He watched her for a moment, at the coldness in her eyes and the lit up horn aimed at him. He lifted his lion paw, causing Celestia to flinch, expecting something awful to happen once he snapped his fingers. Instead, he snapped his fingers and a photo appeared in his other hand. He held out the photo for Celestia to see. "Don't believe me? See for yourself..."

Against her better judgement, she moved even closer, just a few steps, and found herself staring at a picture of Discord holding a small purple filly with an odd set of eyes. "What's wrong with her eyes?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"It might have been a side effect of the magic," Discord responded with a shrug. He smiled. "She can see just fine, and honestly, she wouldn't be the same filly without them."

There was something about the way his eyes softened and lit up when he talked about the little filly in the photo. Was it love she saw in his eyes? She stood up straight, her horn no longer glowing and no longer aiming at his chest.

"She just got her cutie mark recently," he continued, his smile never fading. "That's how I finally decided a name for her."

Curiosity struck Celestia as she continued staring at the photo Discord held out. "What's her name?"

"Screwball." His smile fell. "See, when I woke up this morning-"

"-Are you sure she didn't just wander off?" Celestia went back to her uncertainty over Discord's supposed _'real'_ intentions for returning to Canterlot. "Did you even actually look, or was this some excuse to come here?"

He couldn't help but be offended then. "I thought she wandered off, at first... And yes, I did look for her. I spent the entire day looking for her!"

"Well, what makes you think she was kidnapped?" Kidnapping was a rather rare occurrence in Equestria, and she found it highly unlikely that anypony could get away with kidnapping a child of Discord's.

"Because whoever took her left me a message on the wall of the cave I live in!"

"...you live in a _cave?_"

"Yes, because unlike you I don't need all this expensive crap," he shot back, motioning toward the marble pillars and the balcony which they stood upon. "I'm the spirit of chaos! A god! I can make my own food and entertainment with a simple snap of my fingers! And yet I choose not to live in a lavish home like you. I'm perfectly comfortable with where I live."

She rolled her eyes. _I had to ask._ "What did the message say?" she asked with a sigh.

"I'll show you." He snapped his fingers, and a blinding flash of light startled Celestia from even realizing what was happening. She blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes in the darkness.

_Why is it so dark?_

Her eyes widened, gathering her current surroundings with the help of the dim light of her sister's moon peaking through the round entrance beside her. Celestia was no longer on the balcony of the Canterlot Tower, but was instead standing in a small, dark cave. She could see the outline of sharp, uneven rock and cracks in the cave walls around her from the dim moonlight. She turned her head briefly, and saw Discord's long form standing beside her, his body nearly covered by the darkness, all except his face, which was illuminated by the moonlight. His expression was clearly and noticeably painted with concern. She almost felt sympathetic toward him. _Almost._ Until she remembered where he had transported her. "Where are we?" she knew exactly where she was, but she wouldn't feel completely comfortable until she had confirmation.

Discord ignored her question. Instead, he rose a lion paw and pointed to the opposite side of the cave. "It's right there."

Celestia squinted her eyes in the darkness, trying to see exactly what Discord was supposedly pointing at. "What's right there?" She refused to move from her spot.

"The message." When he noticed that Celestia refused to move closer to see, he snapped his fingers again, the cave wall and the message now right before them, clearly lit by the way the moon's light was hitting that particular spot.

_**'You'll never see her again.'**_

Celestia studied the red words carefully, unable to clearly think over what exactly she was reading. The words were clear and confirmed the story Discord told her prior, but she still couldn't exactly confirm whether any of this was even true or not. She honestly hoped it wasn't, otherwise she might feel roped into helping out her foe, despite his banishment and despite her royal duties that wouldn't even give her a chance to actually help. That is, _if_ she wanted to help. If it was true, what Discord said... she would try to help out as much as she could. Not for him and not for herself, but for the sake of an innocent filly that might have been the victim of a kidnapping. _Might._

The sun princess was snapped out of her musings by a loud roar of anger, and an explosion of rock. Celestia jumped, quickly turning to face Discord. The draconequus was breathing deeply, his lion paw-curled into a fist-outstretched, pressing against the cave wall a few inches away from where the message was written. The exact place where his paw rested was cracked and nearly shattered. It took Celestia a few moments to realize that Discord had punched the wall out of anger. An anger that she never saw before, considering Discord's traits were usually arrogance, sarcasm and playfulness. He could even be melodramatic when speaking (particularly to her), but never truly angry. She quickly moved away from him, but kept her eyes locked on his lean, slightly shaking form.

"I just don't understand..." he mumbled, lowering his tone. "...I know I've made enemies. Many enemies. But who could have taken her?" By the _'who'_ he was referring to, Celestia guessed it was Discord's supposed filly. "... why would they take her? Why _her?_ She didn't even..." he shut his eyes. "...she didn't even _do_ anything wrong...she's just a child..." He sounded defeated and hopeless, which were two other things that were completely unlike his true self.

Either way, his words rang painfully true. As a princess, Celestia had many enemies- threats to Equestria that wanted her and her sister dead so they could take over the throne. And she knew what enemies do to make ponies like herself suffer and eventually give up everything. Luckily, in Celestia's case, she never had to deal with her beloved sister being taken from her by an enemy, but there were always threats made against her to do so. Despite what she currently thought of Discord, Celestia felt compelled to share a few words of personal wisdom in an attempt to answer his question, while comforting him at the same time. "That's exactly what enemies do," she said quietly, not making an effort to move closer. "They find our only weakness by taking away the ones we love most."

When he didn't respond, she smiled grimly in the darkness. "I guess you still have a lot to learn about that... But... I can promise you one thing."

"Which would be what?" he snapped, still keeping his head lowered and away from her view.

"...that she's alive." When Discord finally turned his head toward her, her solemn smile disappeared. "...I don't know where she is either, but...if an enemy of yours did take her, then I guarantee you that she is alive. And..." she hesitated briefly, considering whether her next decision would be a fateful one. She sighed after a long moment. "...I...I'll...try to help...in anyway I can..."

_Oh Celestia,_ a voice in her head whispered, _just what have you gotten yourself into?_

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 3. Yup. Finally Discord and Celestia interact. :)**

**And what Celestia was saying about enemies is the quote I used at the beginning of chapter 1, if you didn't notice. ;) Not much else to say, really. Please review and tell me what you think so far! :)**


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